The Average Cost Of Taxi Insurance (Updated for 2018)

March 6, 2018

The Average Cost Of Taxi Insurance: What to Expect

Any taxi driver knows that it’s not just the money that you earn from fares that is important. The cash you spend on your annual outgoings, like taxi insurance, can also have a big impact on whether you can afford to take the family away on holiday this year or not.

So how much should taxi insurance cost? Marc Loud from Park Insurance says:

“taxi drivers should expect to pay on average £1,300 to £1,800 a year for their cover.”

If you’re paying more it could be time to try and find a better deal. And if you’re paying less, you might need to double check the fine print to make sure that you have the cover that you need

Cheap taxi insurance

As with all insurance, a cheap deal does not always work out as good value in the long run. If you need to make a claim and find you can’t because of a detail in the small print, you could find yourself seriously out of pocket.

Is driving a taxi covered under ‘business use’ in my standard car insurance?

No. Your standard car insurance may include ‘business use’ but that does not cover driving a private hire vehicle, where you take money in return for carrying people or goods. You will need to buy specialist taxi insurance that includes hire and reward cover. And there are also lots of other extras that it could be worth considering for your financial peace of mind.

What is hire and reward insurance?

Hire and reward insurance specifically covers you to carry people (or goods) in your vehicle in reward for payment. You’ll need it to work as a taxi driver, rideshare driver, to drive a wedding or prom car, if you are a courier, or deliver food in your vehicle, for example as a Deliveroo driver.

Insurance for Uber drivers

If you’re an Uber driver, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you have the right insurance in place. Even if you’re only driving for Uber part-time, you’ll need to have hire and reward insurance as part of your policy or you could be prosecuted. That means you can’t just drive using your standard vehicle insurance.

Insurance companies treat Uber and other rideshare drivers in exactly the same way as private hire taxi drivers. But there are some ways that you could try and get a cheaper price for your premium. If you’re only working part-time, you may do a lower mileage than other hire and reward drivers. Tell your broker and they may be able to use this to negotiate a better deal. Just be careful not to underestimate your mileage or you may invalidate your cover.

What’s the difference between private hire insurance and public hire insurance?

Private hire insurance is designed for you if you drive a minicab or rideshare vehicle that can only be pre-booked, not hailed on the street. Public hire insurance is for vehicles like hackney carriages and black cabs, which are licensed to pick up fares on the street as well as at a designated taxi rank or through pre-booking.

Not all insurance companies will offer both, and it’s really important to make sure that the taxi insurance cover that you take out is appropriate for your specific needs.

Things to watch out for

Does your policy include public liability insurance? If it doesn’t you could be in for a shock if a member of the public makes a claim against you for injury or damage to their property. With this insurance as part of your annual policy, you’ll have the reassurance that your legal fees to defend your case or pay out compensation are covered. It comes as standard with many taxi insurance policies but is left out of many of the cheapest deals. If you don’t want to be left facing expensive legal fees, make sure you read the small print carefully or explain to your taxi insurance broker that this is something you definitely want to have included in your policy.

Do you want to risk it?

Also, before you purchase your new policy, ask if it provides legal assistance. This can be invaluable if you have an accident that isn’t your fault and you need to take legal action. And make sure that any costly gadgets, like your phone or card machine in your cab, are also included.

Do you rely on driving to pay the bills?

Do you rely on driving to pay the bills at home? If so, you’ll need to plan ahead in case something happens that takes you off the road. Check the small print in your insurance documents to make sure that it will provide a similar vehicle if yours is being fixed after an accident. If you normally drive a large comfortable saloon, your customers will not be happy if you turn up in a cramped super mini!

It’s also worth considering other insurance add-ons that can help you out financially if you’re unable to drive for a period of time. Speak to your insurance broker about loss of earnings cover, which pays out if you can’t drive for a period of time due to an accident. And consider carefully if you also need personal injury cover, which will pay out cash if you have an accident that means you can’t go back to work as a driver.

Other types of taxi insurance add-ons

Have you purchased your private hire vehicle on hire purchase? If so, you might want to add on gap insurance to your policy. Most vehicles depreciate in value as they get older. If your car is written off or stolen, your insurance company will pay out the amount of money for an equivalent vehicle of the same age and condition. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be less than the amount you may still have left to pay for your vehicle. Gap insurance covers this difference, so you won’t be left continuing to pay for a car that you no longer have or can’t drive.

I have a fleet of taxis – what insurance do I need?

If you operate a fleet of taxis, you’ll have additional insurance considerations. Taxi fleet insurance protects all your vehicles under one policy and you might want to consider all-driver cover that allows any driver to drive any of your vehicles and can be more cost effective and easier than named-driver cover.

By law, you’ll need employer’s liability insurance if you employ any members of staff, even if they work part-time or are a member of the family. And if you operate from an office, you’ll need cover for the buildings and contents, like equipment.

Insuring large vehicles

Minibuses and minivans can be insured as taxis but you’ll need to specify the number of seats when you get your insurance quote. You’ll also need to make sure that you don’t exceed the number of passengers or your insurance will be invalidated.

Do I need specialist insurance for my taxi if it has disabled access?

If your vehicle has been modified to provide disabled access, make sure you tell your insurance company. These modifications can make a vehicle more costly to repair or replace than standard models. If you haven’t declared them in advance, your insurance could be invalidated if you do need to make a claim.

What about personal use?

Do you want to use your taxi privately? Double check that your insurance also covers you to use your vehicle when you’re not working.

Taxi insurance for new drivers

If you’re new to driving a taxi, you might need to brace yourself for higher premiums for the first couple of years. That’s because you can’t normally transfer any no-claims bonus earned driving your private-use car. Instead, you’ll need to build up a record as a taxi driver. However, it is worth telling your broker how many years you’ve had claims free as some insurance companies may take this into account

How can I reduce my taxi insurance?

Taxi insurance premiums are higher than private car insurance because of the increased risks associated with being a driver. Although your experience behind the wheel naturally makes you a good driver, you cover high miles and that statistically makes you more likely to be involved in an accident.

The best way to get the best price taxi insurance is to be a safe driver. If you have a record of no-claims you’ll get a better deal. Conversely, if you have points on your licence, you’ll feel the pinch of higher premiums as a result.

“Average costs can vary. If a driver has a no-claims record or points on their license are important factors. Another possible factor is changes in government legislation.”
Marc Loud, Park Insurance

Tips to save money on your taxi insurance

There are a number of ways you can help to reduce your insurance premiums, without skimping on the cover. Here are 8 of the best:

Pay annually. Policies with a facility to pay monthly charge high interest rates. To save money, ask to pay it in one go instead.

Take out breakdown cover at the same time. As keeping your car on the road is essential for your livelihood, most taxi drivers want to take out breakdown cover. Buying this together with your motor insurance could save you cash on your annual costs. Double check that the service you are buying meets your needs. Getting you back on the road, and picking up fares, as quickly as possible should be a priority.

Improve security. Fitting a CCTV or adding recognised Thatcham security devices is an investment that could help to reduce your premiums.

Be a safe driver. Like all insurance, if you make a claim, you will see insurance premiums shoot up. And any penalty points for speeding will also see prices hike.

Accurately estimate your annual mileage. The lower your annual mileage, the less time you spend on the road ad the lower your risk. And that can mean cheaper insurance. You’ll need to be as accurate as you can because if you make a claim and your mileage is higher than you estimated, your insurance could be invalidated.

Contact insurance companies that specialise in taxi insurance, as they’ll understand your unique needs. Not all insurance companies want to take on the risk of insuring a taxi and offer high premiums to reflect that. To get the best value deal, look for companies that are happy to offer this specialist cover.

Shop around for the best price. You might have found an insurance company that is happy to offer specialist taxi insurance, but don’t stop there. Every insurance company uses different factors when calculating how much risk you pose. That means it’s possible to get very different prices for very similar cover from different insurance companies. The more companies you contact, the more likely you are to find the best price that’s out there.

Taxi insurance brokers

We understand that you’d rather be out on the road picking up fares than dealing with the paperwork. If you don’t have the time to contact insurance companies, or don’t know where to look, use an experienced broker like Park Insurance to do the ringing round for you.

We have over 30 years of expertise helping taxi drivers to secure the best value insurance. Our understanding of your business and close links to some of the UK’s biggest insurance companies helps us to negotiate great prices that won’t leave you with any surprises if you do need to make a claim. We’re independent, so will select the best value deals from a panel of insurers. That means you can be confident we’re finding you the best price.

Get the right taxi insurance for less

For a free quote for taxi insurance call our friendly team now on 0117 955 6835 or get a quote.

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